Lopburi

Today we traveled to Lopburi, about two and a half hours north of Bangkok to visit and HIV/AIDS Hospice, Wat Phra Bhat Nam Phu. We were greeted at the entrance be a garden of stone statutes of various human forms. One was of a human form, its face contorted, its arms reach up, but cut off a few inches past the shoulder. I wasn't sure if that was intentional or simply decay, but soon found that it was intentional. The hospice houses around 400 patients and their rate of death is about 2 to 3 a day on average. I had no idea that that number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand was so high, about one in every 55 people. The patients at the hospice are often living there not only for the care, but also because the stigma about AIDS and the lack of knowledge of modes of transmission is so high.

Walking into the reception area, we were offered photo albums. The pictures depicted the patients in the hospice, some enjoying daily activities, but many more, on hospital beds, barely more than skeletons. Little did I know that the our next stop was to visit some of these very patients. We were taken to the hospital room were about 12 patients in various conditions were laying on hospital gurnies. There was no air-condition, but the room was clean and neat. Most of them were sleeping or covered in blankets, but those who were awake responded to our wai's with smiles and a wai in return.

From there, we went to an area with a Buddha image surrounded by thousands of white bags, which, as were were told, were the ashes of the patients who had died there since its inception - over 10,000. The ashes were always sent to their families, but more often then not, were returned as undeliverable.

The next room was a room which housed the mummified remains of patients who wanted their bodies donated for science and study. Some of these were encased in glass coffins, but others were simply laying out in the open. Many still had their hair and three were small children. It was hard to see, but also in many ways didn't seem real.

After the tour, we were treated to a cabaret show put on by patients of the community. After each skit, the patients were identified by age and how they contracted the disease. One very striking young woman, turned out to be a 16 year old boy who had contracted the disease through sexual transmission. Two middle aged women had contracted it through their husbands and another woman had been gang raped at a factory where she worked.

One of the shows, starred a Thai ladyboy (see below, none of the sites I found to link to were appropriate for a family friendly blog), who was obviously not a lady, who picked an unsuspecting visitor out of the audience and proceeded to give him a lap dance. The poor man was obviously uncomfortable, but it made for an amusing scene for the rest of the audience.

After the shows, the audience was asked for donations (I believe that a portion of our program fee goes to the organizations that we visit.

After the AIDS temple, we went into town to visit the monkey temple, which is literally overrun with monkeys. If you sit down, you are inviting monkeys to jump on your shoulders, pick through your hair or run off with any of your loose possessions. We enjoyed watching the other tourists go through this, but the term "ebola" kept running through my mind as we watched, and I kept my distance.


Addendum
Thai Ladyboys:
They are called ladyboys, shemales, transsexuals or hermaphrodites, born as a man with the soul of a woman many transsexuals feel themselves caught in the wrong body.

The Kathoeys (ladyboys), as they are called in the national language, count among the most beautiful of the world. Due to the centuries old tradition of Thai ladyboy dancers, who in earlier times performed their art even before the king, Kathoeys are largely accepted in Thai society. All over the country beauty pageants take place, much to the enthusiasm of the population. The most beautiful Kathoeys are awarded prizes. To win one of those competitions is a great honour for the ladies. Compared to other countries Thailand boasts above-average numbers of transsexuals and transvestites. Strolling through the streets of Bangkok it is not unusual to encounter several of the pretty shemales. Due to their mostly tender physiques Thai Kathoeys appear very feminine and are for the untrained eye hard to tell from a girl.